I was recently sent three books by Eddison Books on Health and Wellbeing. Now I am a bit of s sceptic because as a Holistic therapist and Former College tutor the books we read were quite detailed clinical type books. Suffice to say it was nearly 20 years ago so I suspect the sophistication of the reader has risen to meet our upgraded HD retinas.

Essential Oils You Can’t Do Without: The Best Aromatherapy Oils for Health, Home and Beauty and How to Use Them by Daniele Festy

Natural Painkillers: Relieve Pain with Natural Remedies and Exercises by Dr Yann Rougier & Marie Borrelcan came at the right time because I recently experienced a bad back after another Bereavement (if you have listened to my podcast or read my blog on Grief then you will know how common it is to experience physical ailments after the death of a loved one). The book is jam-packed with various complementary techniques to use such as Acupressure points to help with pain relief, Healthy foods to help reduce inflammation and also a good range of Homeopathic and Aromatherapy remedies and recipes to assist you with any complementary programme.

Safety note: For any physical ailment one should always consult their GP or Complementary Health Practitioner ( I consulted my Osteopath for my back). .

Essential Oils You Can’t Do Without: The Best Aromatherapy Oils for Health, Home and Beauty and How to Use Them by Daniele Festy

When I was asked to review this book I thought it would be just another aromatherapy book with great pics, but I was wrong, it is a great book and great as a reference guide. This easy to use book is full of information that will help you create some great skincare and wellness blends. 6 Essential Oils You Can't Do Without has great references on all the important data that will allow you to start your essential oil journey. Even for existing Aromatherapists and students alike, this book visually clean and informative, for the novice, it will also be a great companion to creating a Healing home because it has over 300 recipes for the home, skin and body. So for my clients and students alike, I will definitely recommend this lovely book.

I found this book really interesting and again timely because I have spent the winter hibernating and now I am back at the Gym and on the mat. The Ketogenic & Hypo toxic Diet again was a very informative read. The book breaks down the “Keto” diet which is a diet

Low in carbohydrates and rich in good fats, the ketogenic diet offers the perfect solution to healthy eating for optimum well-being. But in order to be truly beneficial to our health, it should also be hypotoxic (gluten- and dairy-free, with only moderate amounts of organic animal protein).

The Keto diet says No, to sugar, most fruits or white carbs and Pulses so some Vegans may find this a problem if they eat a lot of cooked Chickpeas or Lentils,(there are options for the sprouted pulses)

As a gluten intolerant Pescatarian I find pulses hard to digest, even with Seaweed added and soaking, and the Gluten-free food often leaves me bloated so trying this out has helped reduce the bloating.

The book is clearly written and easy to follow, but for me, my favourite part of the book is the recipes. Although different I found some of the foods choices similar to the Paleo diet, however, the Keto is about changing macronutrients to start a natural fat burning process. (correct me if I am wrong) and the Paleo is about eliminating dairy, grains and processed foods. Both diets are good for Auto Immune, Weight loss and Gluten intolerance. As for the weight loss, I am only on day 1 so I will let you know if I follow this for 5 days. I will definitely add this book to the reading list of my self paced course the 30/30 Wellness programme.and now that is a bonus. All books are available for all outlets such as Amazon and Foyles.

MJ Fontaine - East London Creative Life Coach

My passion is for holistic health and art. I have been working for over 15 years with women assisting them in creating a more authentic life and I can assist you to bring more Creativity, Passion and Purpose into your life.

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